Lid for hermetically sealed cans or boxes



July 11, 1939. T. NORLAND 2,165,720

LID FOR HERMETICALLY SEALED CANS OR BOXES Filed Dec. 11, 1936 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES LID FOR HERMETICALLY SEALED CANS OR BOXES Torvald Norland,

Stavanger, Norway Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,396 In Norway May 25, 1936 4 Claims.

Applications have been. filed in Norway on May 25, 1936 and in Great Britain on October 23, 1936.

This invention relates to an improved detachable lid for use with a can or the like having a pierceable strip of tagger-tin or other material hermetically sealing the said can, a removable cover lid being provided with a cutter adapted to cut the said tagger strip of the can when the lid is turned round the said can.

It has already been proposed in closures of this type to place the cutter in an outer resting position lying outside the side of the can or flat along the cover lid top, so that the cutter normally cannot reach the tagger cover strip of the can, r the cutter when required for use being forced into its operative position by the aid of a knife or other tool. However, as the cutter is somewhat diifllcult to turn or bend owing to its being relatively short and stiff, this arrangement has heretoiore proved impracticable in use.

According to this invention the cover lid is provided with an integral opening device comprising a cutter portion normally lying in an inoperative position in the plane of the lid and an actuating member thereof formed by cutting spaced slits in the flange of the lid which extend from the cutter portion normally in a direction at right angles to the cutter portion in the plane of the said flange. When the actuating member or tab is turned for example through 90, the cutter, lying flat along the cover lid top, also will be turned through 90 down parallel to the flange of the lid, into its operative position. This turning of the tab, and thereby of the cutter can be simply effected by the aid of the users fingers. The slits can lead from the lower edge of the flange of the lid to a point on the rim thereof, a little distance from the base of the cutter, so forming a tab turnable on the unslitted line between the upper end of said slits. As'above described the turning of this tab through 90 in an upward direction will bring the cutter parallel to the flange of the lid, into its operative position, from its normal position flat along the lid top.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the top of. a can in perspective View, and

Figs. 2 and 3 a section through the side of the can with the cutter in the inoperative and cutting position respectively.

Referring to the drawing, the cutter consists of a triangular flap l2, cut in the material of the lid II), the cutter designed to lie flat along the lid top when in its resting position. The flange I5 is provided with slits 20-40 leading from the lower rim of the flange up to the rim of the lid ill, at points spaced some distance from the base of the cutter l2, thereby forming a tab or actuating member 2|. When the cutter is to be used, the lid is removed and the tab 2| is turned upwardly through 90 on the line of the rim of the lid, whereby the cutter It will also be turned through 90 downwardly parallel to the flange l5 into the operative position shown in Figure 3. By the aid of the fingers it is very easy to turn the tab H and thereby the cutter I2 as described.

If the slits 20-40 are replaced by weakened lines the only difference will be that the material must first be ripped open along these weakened lines, before the slits are formed. The arrangement of such weakening lines instead of slits on the lid 10 or the flange l5 thereof must accordingly be considered as lying within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. For use with a can having a pierceable tagger cover hermetically sealing the open end thereof: a detachable lid including a disc portion and a depending annular rim portion and an opening device for said tagger cover, said device being formed integrally with said lid, said device comprising a cutter portion adapted to pierce said cover, comprising a triangular portion integrally connected to said disc portion along the edge thereof, and an actuating member therefor of a Width greater than the greatest width of said outter portion and connected to said cutter portion along said disc edge, said actuating member extending the whole depth of said lid rim and being separated therefrom along opposite sides thereof by spaced slits in said rim and said actuating member normally lying in the plane of said rim at right angles to said cutter portion, the arrangement being such that on bending said actuating member upwardly and outwardly, around said edge of said lid, and into the plane of said disc, said cutter portion is bent downwardly at right angles so that, when said lid is applied to said can, said cutter portion will lie within the circumference of said can and will, on pressure being exert ed on said lid in a downward direction, pierce said tagger cover and cut the latter on subsequent turning movement of said lid around said can.

2. For use with a can having a pierceable tagger cover hermetically closing the open end thereof: a detachable lid comprising a disc portion and a depending peripheral flange portion,

and an opening device for said tagger cover, formed integrally with said lid, said opening device comprising a cutter portion normally lying in an inoperative position in the plane of said disc portion, and an actuating member therefor, said member being formed by cutting spaced slits in said flange portion extending from said cutter portion and being normally disposed at right angles to said cutter portion, in the plane of the said flange portion.

3. For use with a can having a pierceable tagger cover hermetically sealing the open end thereof: a detachable lid and an opening device adapted to pierce said tagger cover and formed integrally with said lid, said opening device comprising a cutter portion and a pivotable actuating member, for moving said cutter portion, connected to said cutter portion, the said cutter portion normally lying in an inoperative position flush with said lid and being adapted to be moved, by pivoting said actuating member, from said inoperative to an operative position so as to pierce said tagger-tin cover when said lid is applied to said can.

4. For use with a can having a pierceable tagger cover hermetically closing the open end thereof: a detachable lid, and an opening device for piercing said tagger cover and formed integrally with said lid, said opening device comprising a cutter portion and a turnable actuating member for moving said cutter portion, connected to said cutter portion, said member being formed by cutting spaced slits in said lid extending in a direction away from said cutter portion, said cutter portion lying normally in an outer inoperative position, but being adapted to be bent into an inner operative cutting position by turning said actuating member, and said spaced slits forming said actuating member extending from points spaced some little distance from the inner ends of said cutter portion.

TORVALD NORLAND. 

